1.3 Executive Summary

Advantage Victoria!

Vision: The year 2006 will see Victoria as home to a strong and successful tourism industry characterised by coordinated and effective leadership and a community that understands and values tourism. The State will have delivered the best ever Commonwealth Games experience and boosted Melbourne's reputation as Australia's event capital. Offering quality products and services with a superior level of customer service, the degree of visitor satisfaction will be unsurpassed. Melbourne will be a business events leader and the city will provide the gateway to a thriving regional tourism industry.

Despite uncertain times, tourism has maintained its status as a key economic stronghold and will continue to be a strong advantage for Victoria. Although geographically remote, Australia is not immune from the shock of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and the fallout from the US counter-offensive on terrorism. In fact the effect on Australia's tourism industry was compounded by the subsequent collapse of Ansett. These events have far reaching ramifications for Victoria's tourism industry and bring home the importance of guiding the development of tourism with purpose, but also flexibility. While the long term prospects for the tourism sector remain strong, we face a period of recovery followed by the challenge of growing visitation.

Advantage Victoria! outlines the key directions for the next five years, identified and sculpted by Victoria's tourism industry - an industry that has dealt with issues of fragmentation to mature into a cohesive and integrated business sector. Tourism Victoria will continue to lead and facilitate on behalf of the industry. However, now is the time for the industry to embrace its new maturity and step forward to implement a plan that sets an exciting and innovative direction for the State.

New strategic directions within the plan include communicating the value of tourism, accelerating the development of regional tourism with a focus on key destinations and attractions, targeting international growth markets such as China and placing a greater emphasis on visitor satisfaction.

The message will resonate strongly from the industry that tourism is a key economic driver directly creating more jobs for Victoria than the education, agriculture, government administration, defence or mining sectors. It is also a significant contributor to social cohesion and environmental sustainability.

The social, environmental and economic contribution of tourism will be a major benefit to regional Victoria as the State's marketing programs expand to encompass specific regional destinations and attractions. The migration of marketing programs from a focus on product regions to the primary motivators for travel, reflects the consumer appeal of destinations, attractions, touring routes, special interest themes and products, and unique experiences.

Victoria's top individual international source countries have been stable over the past five years. The next five years will see an added focus on the Asian market which is expected to present the greatest proportional increase in visitor growth due primarily to the rapidly growing Chinese market.

Victoria also has an opportunity to position itself as providing exceptional and seamless customer service. This will ensure greater visitor satisfaction with Victoria's destinations, products and services, and in turn impact on repeat visitation.

The cooperative approach to the development of this plan and the strategic directions it advocates, are evidence that Victoria's tourism industry is ready to take the next leap forward. The industry is poised on the brink of a new era, which will see Victoria capitalise on its unique advantages and make the State an essential inclusion on international holiday itineraries and a destination of choice for domestic travellers. Victoria's tourism industry is dedicated to the sustainable development of tourism and committed to ensuring a robust and resilient future.

The implementation of the strategies outlined in this plan is dependent on the level of cooperative financial and human resources applied over the life of this plan.

The theme of this plan Advantage Victoria! signifies the economic, social and environmental advantages to Victoria from a strong, vibrant and growing tourism industry. However, while Victoria has reached "advantage point", to meet the competition challenge will require strategies, vision and determination to capitalise on these advantages.